1997-09-29 - Follow Christ

Matthew 4:19:Follow me and I will make you fishers of Men.

Reason one (1) To follow Christ:

This reason is right here in the text. The call, "Follow me" is enhanced
with the promise, "I will make you". Charles Spurgeon says that this call
and promise should lead us to repent of who we have been and rejoice in what
we may be. The promise is just as relevant to us today, we have been made
new creatures in Christ, the old things have passed away and behold new things
have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) The "I will make you" is just as much for
us today as it was for the Apostles to whom it was spoken. Notice also that
Christ does not say to them, "Follow me, you know you guys are just the people
I have been looking for. You are so skilled in your craft, and you are prepared
to come work with me." Nor does He say, "Follow me, I see real potential
in you, you guys might turn out to be somebody someday and I want you on
my team." Nope, Christ says, "follow me and I will make you".

These two who
Jesus called were fisherman. They were brothers named Simon (Peter) and Andrew.
They were from Capernaum and they were Galilean. The Talmud says of Galileans,
"They were more anxious for honor than for gain, quick-tempered, impulsive,
emotional, easily aroused by an appeal to adventure, loyal to the end." Both
brothers were probably uneducated. Christ says to them, "I will make you"
and what did they become? Both became leaders in the establishing of the
Christian Church. Both became Martyrs for their faith in Christ. Both were
crucified on a cross, both begged that they not be crucified as Christ had
been crucified. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross, now called St.
Andrew's cross and Peter was crucified upside down.

"To resist one's cross is to make it heavier." Henri Amiel

"The greatest of all crosses is self--if we die in part every day we shall
have but little to do on the last. These daily deaths will destroy the power
of the final dying." Francois Fenelon

"Die before you die. There is no chance after." C. S. Lewis

"The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective." A. W. Tozer